Tanomura Chikuden

(1777-1835). Painter in the Chinese manner ranked in Japan among the leading bunjinka artists. Born in Bungo Province (now Ōita Prefecture) in Kyūshū. He served briefly in his inherited role as domain physician, but later started traveling to various parts of Japan visiting noted artists and scholars. Chikuden developed his own style based on his studies of Chinese painting of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. His paintings, with their compositions carefully built with layers of delicate color and fine brushwork, possess a close relationship to the literati painting of China. (adapted from Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1993)